CyclingSavvyA Program of the American Bicycling Education Association2017-09-22T00:57:43Zhttp://cyclingsavvy.org/feed/atom/WordPressMighk Wilsonhttp://mighkwilson.com/blog/http://cyclingsavvy.org/?p=75772017-09-21T14:04:01Z2017-09-20T15:30:05ZThe American Bicycling Education Association is pleased to announce our presence at the Philly Bike Expo, November 4th and 5th, in the Pennsylvania Convention Center!

Founded in 2010 by Bilenky Cycle Works, the Expo promotes “the fun, function, fitness and freedom to be found on two wheels.” The event creates an environment that fosters relationships between the cycling community and the dedicated companies and organizations that are the foundation of bicycles as a lifestyle.

Bilenky hosts the event so we can all “admire the artisans whose craft enables us to ride two-wheeled art, to applaud the activists whose tireless efforts further our cycling infrastructure and to explore cycling as a fun and efficient transportation alternative.”

Philadelphia Bike Expo Credit: Philly Bike Expo/Brad Quartuccio

ABEA will provide Philadelphia’s first CyclingSavvy course during the weekend. CyclingSavvy instructor Harold Karabell–known for his awesome interpretive tours in St. Louis–will lead a historic architecture bicycle tour of Center City, weather permitting.

We’ll also host a table in the Expo Hall and offer presentations on cycling safety and our programs. Details are under development. We’ll update you here on the blog, as well as on our Facebook page.

We hope to see you in The Cradle of Liberty!

]]>0Karen Karabellhttp://cyclingsavvy.org/?p=72422017-09-10T13:03:01Z2017-09-13T15:30:25ZMy bank is on the corner of a major St. Louis intersection. Before I started using a marvelous CyclingSavvy strategy, I dreaded going to this bank.

If I rode, I added at least half a mile to my trip to avoid biking on the major arterial road on which the bank sits.

If I drove, I felt guilty using my two-ton land missile to process pieces of paper.

Then I learned about turning right on green. Motorists, of course, turn right on red if they can.

My bank, at the intersection of major arterial roads in St. Louis

But I learned through CyclingSavvy that if I wait for a green light to turn right onto major arterial roads, I typically get the road all to myself for the amount of time I need to be on it.

Game Changer

Why is this such a big deal?

Because the red light shuts down the pipe. The motorists on that road are waiting at a red light. While they just sit there, I can get where I need to be. On my bicycle!

You’ll see above how I use Kingshighway–a massive St. Louis stroad–for the three blocks I need to get to my bank.

Wait until the light is green on the “smaller” road to turn onto the “big” road

In the video I’m turning right on yellow. I would have preferred to show you a “pure” right-on-green maneuver. But at some point I needed to quit taping and get back to my day job. This is Take #2 of 5. The other takes were also totally uneventful. Here’s the first take, if you’re a junkie for this stuff.

Right-on-green works like a charm. Over the years I’ve used this strategy hundreds of times. I can’t recall a bit of trouble anywhere I’ve used it.

If you try right-on-green, it’ll seem weird at first, being out there all by yourself on your bicycle.

Another tip: Go immediately into the lane that best serves your destination. If you’re making a left up ahead, use right-on-green to go directly into the left lane. Position yourself early, and you won’t need to negotiate with fast-moving traffic, which is hard to do.

What if the light turns green while you’re riding your bike on that big scary road? Motorists who come up behind you will see you from a long way back. They see that you’re on a bicycle. They’ll assume you’re slow, even if you’re not. They’ll either slow down, or choose whatever lane you’re not in to pass you.

Any motorist turning right on green with you at the intersection will quickly leave you in the dust. They don’t want to be behind you. On multi-lane roads they’ll choose a lane you’re not in to pass you.

Street layout example: The left half shows a grid-like layout, with many route options. The right half contains more isolated neighborhoods, with fewer connections

I grew up in a typical post-war neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee. Like most kids, I rode my bike all over my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. During the late 80s & early 90s I lived in an area with a more-or-less grid layout of streets. Residential and collector cross-streets created blocks that led to larger, faster arterial roads between neighborhoods. Local businesses were often located near the ends of these blocks. The parallel residential streets made cycling route choices easy, and kept me from “mixing it up” with faster traffic on arterial roads.

During high school, my family moved farther out of town, into a nearby suburban area. There were still a number of route choices, but businesses were much farther from residential areas. Walmart, the nearest major store, was a 15-20 minute ride. Not knowing any better, I tried my best to ride on sidewalks whenever I was riding anything but the quietest residential roads.

When I began searching for my own first home after college, cycling wasn’t on my radar. My wife and I live in an isolated residential subdivision in a typical American suburb outside of Memphis. Until recently I had one choice to get out of the subdivision: A two-lane 35 MPH collector road with a two-way center-turn lane. This road is lined only with subdivision access points and no sidewalks. Auto traffic is king. There are few connections between neighborhoods. In order to cycle anywhere in my town, it’s almost required to take a 40- to 45-MPH arterial or at least a 35-MPH collector road at some point.

Enter CyclingSavvy

When I got back to cycling as an adult in 2012, I was the typical novice: Always nervous about what was behind, riding as far right as possible, wondering when that next car would come up behind me and trying to stay out of the way as much as possible. Like many cyclists report, close “buzz” passes were a daily occurrence.

In May 2013 I wanted to commute to work, but at first didn’t think it was possible. My office is 14 miles from my home, in the next neighboring suburb. The only connections besides the interstate are two-lane roads with no shoulders. One of those is a 55-MPH heavily-traveled US highway. But I pored over Google Maps, and eventually figured out the best route with the least traffic. So I went for it.

Not long after I started commuting, I discovered Facebook groups dedicated to cyclists’ rights to use the full traffic lane, instead of cowering over at the far right edge. It was most likely from those groups that I first heard of CyclingSavvy. I started looking at CS concepts and infographics, and watched some videos.

One video in particular made a real impact. It’s on my favorite CyclingSavvy page, “Why Do You Ride Like That?” This page is “must” reading. I often send the link to others to learn about CyclingSavvy and traffic cycling.

On the page there’s a video titled Lane Control v Right Tire Track. In it CS co-founder Keri Caffrey is in a car, videotaping CS co-founder Mighk Wilson riding along Orlando’s University Boulevard, a typical American wide arterial road. The video starts with Mighk riding in the “left-tire-track,” basically positioning himself where the driver of a car sits. The second half shows him not controlling the traffic lane. He’s riding in the “right-tire-track” position, closer to the edge of the road.

When you watch the video, you’ll clearly see how other drivers treat Mighk based on his lane positioning. The difference in motorist passing distance, visibility and general motorist behavior is stunning. All of a sudden things just “clicked.” I had to try it!

Around the same time I began experimenting with a rear-view mirror on my helmet. Almost immediately two things happened:

First, by being fully aware of my surroundings, including behind me and to the sides, my confidence on the road and among traffic took a HUGE leap! No longer did I have to ride in fear of when that next car was coming. I knew when a car was there and could react as I saw fit.

Second, close “buzz” passing by motorists nearly vanished overnight! Suddenly I went from getting a few buzz passes every week to only a handful in an entire YEAR!

Even though I understood and practiced CyclingSavvy principles on every ride for a couple of years, I knew there was more to learn. Unfortunately there were no classes or instructors in my area. Then I heard about a workshop being offered in St. Louis, only a few hours’ drive and also one of my favorite cities. My wife and I drove up with our bikes and made a weekend vacation out of it.

The class was awesome, especially the experiential city tour with our new friends. We rode all over town, and on major roads. Not once did we have any problems with motorists. No close passes, no honking, no yelling or anything else. I learned new techniques like “right turn on green” to get a large gap in traffic platoons, and moving left early when there’s no one else on the road to set up easily for a left turn.

Since completing CyclingSavvy, with many thousands of miles under my belt, I find it easy to cycle just about anywhere I need to go. While nearby Memphis has been making great strides in cycling in the past 10 years, my town had no specific bike infrastructure whatsoever for decades, until just 10 months ago when the city’s first bike lanes were installed. Even before those, it hasn’t been a problem to bike almost anywhere.

These days at least 80 percent of my cycling is for transportation/direct replacement of car use. I go on recreational rides every now and then, but I mostly enjoy cycling as a way to get somewhere. At this moment I’m celebrating a personal milestone: For the first time ever, in the last six months my cycling miles have exceeded my car miles. This is astonishing to me!

Using CyclingSavvy techniques, I confidently cycle on almost any surface street, from the quietest residential roads to the busiest multi-lane arterials. I’ve even made video demonstrations showing how easy it is to get through interstate interchanges when you control your traffic lane and use the lane best suited for your destination.

Since I’ve added an electric-assist utility bike to my stable, I recently conquered an interchange I never thought I’d ride on. I’m a fairly slow rider, but with the e-bike I was able to get across the overpass quickly, efficiently and safely.

Make no mistake, I use cycling infrastructure when it makes sense to do so. CyclingSavvy showed me how to ride anywhere safely and confidently, infrastructure or not.

CyclingSavvy opened up a whole world of cycling possibilities for me. While I do wish for more pedestrian accommodations in my community and more connections between neighborhoods, I no longer depend on those things. I don’t let the lack of bicycle-specific accommodations or connections limit where I go.

With CyclingSavvy, you really can bike anywhere.

CyclingSavvy helps us avoid opening car doors, making a city ride much less stressful!

Controlling the lane makes roundabouts an easy proposition.

A wide, seven-lane road makes it feel like the right lane is my own personal lane!

Using the lane best suited for my destination to cycle to Memphis International Airport, despite no specific bicycle access. I’m heading for the top of the parking garage to get a good view.

Made it to the top!

]]>5John Brookinghttp://cyclingsavvy.org/?p=71582017-08-30T21:31:17Z2017-08-30T15:30:29ZThe Story

It was a Friday night of a holiday weekend. I was on my way (by bike, of course!) from my suburban office into downtown Portland, Maine, to lead July’s First Friday Slow Ride. The sun was out, temperature perfect, and traffic not terribly congested. I was in a good mood.

The first half of this trip is on a four-lane arterial called Outer Congress Street. Because of narrow lanes and paved shoulders ranging from sketchy to none, I was riding in the middle of the rightmost travel lane to give myself space. This also helps motorists behind me know well in advance that a lane change will be required. Most motorists don’t even take their feet off the gas to change lanes to pass me.

I’ve written before about one section of this road. I sometimes get guff here from motorists because the paved shoulder is generally four to five feet wide and next to a curb. What they surely don’t see are the drain grates, or the trash on the shoulder. It must look to some drivers like a bike lane. It’s not. It’s too narrow, with no pavement markings or signage.

The road during our conversation. The upper left shows the paved shoulder that that the motorist probably assumed was “the bike lane.” The bottom right is where I heard him make the call.

It was in this section that an older man driving a pickup truck in the lane next to me first slowed to my pace and then told me I needed to move over. I replied that I did not. We went back and forth a few times before he drove on. Shortly thereafter he moved into the right lane ahead of me and turned right.

No cussing, no honking, no close pass. It went well, as such encounters go.

The road he turned onto came back out to the main road another mile up. To my surprise, there he was again, waiting to turn right back onto the main road as I approached.

I was close enough that he waited for me to pass before turning. Thank you! But then he came up on my left again. Again he insisted that I needed to move over. This time he threatened to call the police.

“Go right ahead,” I responded. I was getting annoyed. “They’ll tell you I’m right.”

Another mile up the road I approached a red light and got in line in the through lane. Who did I notice on my left, in the left turn lane, but my friend the pickup truck driver. His passenger side window was down. I could clearly hear him on his phone, telling someone about this guy on a bike in the “middle of the road.” He just wanted them to know about it, “in case he gets hit.” Thanks. I think.

I didn’t say anything more. The light turned green, and we went our separate ways. Thankfully, no police car ever appeared. I turned off that road another two miles up, and that was the end of it.

The Result

When I described the experience on Facebook, people expressed interest in seeing the transcript of the presumed 911 call, so I called the police department to ask about it. Yes, the helpful city employee said, she was able to locate that call. A transcript would cost $50, but she could email me the summary for free, with the caller’s information redacted. Here it is:

Official police summary of the call about me.

First, a few minor corrections:

As noted above, there was no bike lane. He just assumed it was a bike lane. (Because that’s where bikes are supposed to be, right?)

To be precise, I was in the middle of the lane, not the middle of the road (the latter would be the centerline).

I was not wearing a backpack, only using a pannier on a rear rack.

On a humorous note, do you see the Call Type? “PERSONS BOTHERING.” I don’t know which direction that’s supposed to imply, but it’s probably safe to say that it went both ways! My friend Alice Persons found it especially amusing.

Why Does It Happen?

I’m fascinated by the thinking of people on this topic. Why did that person–and sometimes it seems most of society–assume cyclists belong at the edge of the road? Why will strangers presume that it’s OK to get in your face and yell at you? While I’m not a sociologist, I have some theories:

Culture of Speed. Every car commercial romanticizes the ideal of driving fast on the open road, unimpeded by other traffic.

We live in a do-it-now world. We don’t like to be delayed. Cyclists are guilty of this, too, when they ride up on the right of a half-dozen cars waiting at a red light to get to the front.

Lack of understanding. Most motorists don’t bike in traffic. They don’t understand the consequences of riding on the edge: The close passing, insufficient buffer space, inconsistent available width, debris hazards, and lack of vantage around corners.

What most people do know is that there’s some law about bicycles needing to be “as far right as possible.” Actually, that’s NOT the law anywhere in America. But people confronting you on the road are not in the mood to quibble.

Unfortunately, not one person in 100 knows anything about the many exceptions such laws always have. No state’s traffic laws obligate you to endanger yourself for the convenience of another.

Purpose of roads. Most people believe “roads are for cars.” Most motorists remain oblivious to the fact that they are beneficiaries of both the Good Roads Movement and a concerted effort in the early 20th Century to redefine streets as places for cars rather than people. This effectively transferred the safety burden from drivers of fast, deadly vehicles onto people who were “foolish enough” to venture onto the street without the protection of a car.

It has become “common sense” that “bikes and cars don’t mix” and that roads are intended only for cars, and pedestrians and bicyclists just need to be careful and stay out of the way in order to be safe.

Purpose of bikes. When autos became ubiquitous in the 20th century, bikes were relegated to toy status. Still, adults continue to rediscover biking for fitness and recreation, and to a lesser extent for transportation. Unfortunately, our land use patterns and economy are still not well suited to bicycle transportation outside of urban centers. The bicycle is still largely seen by non-cyclists as recreation.

Bicycling for transportation is often seen as an undesirable last resort, unless you’re an enthusiast who does it by choice, in which case it’s still just a “hobby.” Not that that has any legal bearing on your right to use the road.

So with all that cultural conditioning, a motorist (who is “delayed” by a bicyclist in the middle of the travel lane when there’s a “perfectly good” three-foot paved shoulder) wonders why:

Why should I have to change lanes when they could just move over?

Don’t they have somewhere else to ride than on this dangerous road at rush hour?

Isn’t it illegal to hold up traffic like this?

They’re going to get hit!

And besides, how rude!

Keeping Your Cool

This can be hard at first. While the techniques we teach in CyclingSavvy work great for minimizing road conflict, there will always be motorists whose lack of understanding makes them want to “driversplain” to you that you’re doing it all wrong, or even what a terrible and selfish person you are.

Ever notice how dogs bark when you walk by their yards? “Stay out of my territory!” When motorists honk at you just because you’re on the road, it’s the same thing. CyclingSavvy co-founder Keri Caffrey coined the term “territorial honking” to describe motorists who want to Make Sure You Know Just How Unhappy They Are that you’re in “their” space. It can be frustrating, especially when you’re pretty sure you know more about bicycling in traffic than they do, especially after taking CyclingSavvy.

I’ve made good progress since I started biking to work 15 years ago. I manage to keep my cool most of the time, as long I’m not actually endangered by someone’s action, especially intentionally.

I can count the number of times I’ve given the one-finger salute in the last half dozen years on, well, one finger. But even that’s too much. The ideal response is not to respond, unless you’re asked an honest question.

As you may have noticed from my story, I’ve yet to achieve that blissful state of savvy nirvana. But I have managed to habituate myself to responding most of the time with a friendly “Hi!” and full hand wave, which maybe disarms them.

It can be tempting to think that you can educate them. Don’t bother. That’s not what they want. They’re mostly sounding off because they had to slow down. It’s not socially acceptable to honk at other motorists, even when one motorist has to slow down for normal actions of others, such as waiting to turn left. Those situations are considered normal, in a way that a bicycle in the road is not, for all the reasons I listed above. And to some people, not being normal is apparently the greatest offense of all.

Whatever you do, don’t escalate. This will not make it better, and could very well make it worse.

Click to view Officer Kirby Beck’s presentation

What if you are stopped by police? Pull over, and respectfully discuss the situation. Know the law and be able to talk briefly about it. You probably know a lot more than the cop about bicycling, but don’t lecture. As lawyers say, the side of the road is not the place to litigate your case.

Retired police officer Kirby Beck gives solid advice in this video. He describes how to report an incident–and you should, if you were endangered–and how to respond to an officer if you’re pulled over. Bike lawyer Bob Mionske offers cautionary advice in How to Handle a Traffic Ticket.

CyclingSavvy will make your cycling easier and less stressful. But unfortunately, you will occasionally encounter jerks, or at least misinformed individuals with strong opinions.

On the rare occasions someone is rude, I always remember how I typically have no problems at all on the road. I hope that’s true for you, too. Enjoy the ride!

Oh yeah, we had a great Slow Ride that night too!

]]>7Mighk Wilsonhttp://mighkwilson.com/blog/http://cyclingsavvy.org/?p=71702017-08-24T01:34:51Z2017-08-23T16:00:13ZWhen it comes to bicycling, so often we hear complaints about what transportation departments get wrong. I thought it was about time for a good news story.

Of course, DeWayne was chosen mainly because he’s a top-notch transportation professional. But as you’ll see below, it’s clear FDOT has made the right decision.

In fall 2015 DeWayne sent notice to all seven FDOT districts encouraging them to offer CyclingSavvy to their planning and engineering staff. As both a transportation engineer and CSI, DeWayne understood the value of educating transportation professionals on how trained bicyclists operate–and how untrained cyclists can get into trouble.

As a result of DeWayne’s recommendation, four of FDOT’s seven districts held CyclingSavvy courses in 2016 for their staff. CyclingSavvy co-founder Keri Caffrey and I taught the entire course in FDOT Districts One, Five and Seven. District Two opted to take the classroom portion only of CyclingSavvy, which I taught. Last spring Keri and I taught the entire three-part course to bicycle and pedestrian safety coordinators and planners from all seven FDOT districts.

While CyclingSavvy is not a bicycle facilities design course, we entertained many questions from district staff regarding design. Our approach was not to say, “Build it this way, not that way.” We wanted to help FDOT professionals understand the most important considerations for any given location. What types of conflicting movements will cyclists be dealing with? How can that knowledge inform a better design? As practical safety-minded professionals, they appreciated this approach.

District One’s course in the small town of Bartow, FL, was our first full course. The staff there showed just how committed they were by gamely taking on State Route 60–the big truck route–during their tour.

FDOT staff get the full State Route 60 experience in Bartow, FL

An unplanned demonstration of how big trucks offtrack at intersections, within inches of FDOT staff standing on the sidewalk

District Five in Orlando did a “double” class. Two CyclingSavvy instructors normally can handle 10 students for each on-bike session. With two additional CSIs, we were able to serve 20. Several FDOT employees took Sunrail to the on-road starting point for the Tour of Orlando, adding a “multi-modal” experience.

Excellent shoulder check from an FDOT District Seven employee as she changes lanes at a merge in downtown Tampa

Staff from all three districts impressed us with their willingness to challenge themselves and try new things. Some hadn’t been on bikes for many years, while others were quite avid cyclists.

Comments from FDOT staff were very encouraging. From the practical…

“It helped me to have a better understanding of what is safe and unsafe for a bicyclist riding on the street and why; what are the driver expectancies; what the areas of conflicts are that both the riders and the vehicles should pay attention to; the issues with biking on sidewalks, or if someone bikes on a sidewalk what the conflicts are and what to pay attention to. I have a better understanding of how to consider and evaluate bike lane accommodation holistically as a system, and when working on an isolated segment.”

“Now that I have firsthand experience of cycling in the travel lanes I am better able to consider and determine how to accommodate the needs of cyclists as we develop, review and administer our maintenance projects.”

“I honestly think that more managers and project managers should take this class. One takeaway from the class is that a bike lane isn’t appropriate in every situation and just because you can build something doesn’t mean that you should. … It really fits in well with Complete Streets and viewing the roadway from the perspective of the users.”

“Any department employee who has a role in bike/ped planning, design and operations would benefit from the course by experiencing real world application first hand rather than from behind a desk.”

… to the inspirational:

“I think one of the most influential things I learned (and practiced!) was the idea of using the entire lane instead of trying to squeeze to the side of the road to allow cars the room to pass dangerously, and to NOT view this act as being a hindrance to vehicles! … I did this several times and did not get a prolonged honk a single time! I think people really respected what I was planning to do on my bike, and how I went about it. I actually felt very safe doing this. I did glance behind me a couple times just to make sure I knew what people behind me were doing, but it worked very well and there were no conflicts (at least that I was aware of!). Funny thing is that when I got back onto a bike lane/paved shoulder and people started buzzing back by me in their adjacent lane, that is when I actually got the unsafe feeling of cars flying by me again! So thank you to you and your team for the “liberating” experience!”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure – it got me so excited I am bike shopping now! I won’t be doing any of those 80-mile rides, but will be riding some trails!!”

Would your area DOT benefit from a more cyclist-centric outlook? (I know, rhetorical question.) Have them contact ABEA! We can get something going. The good folks at FDOT will be happy to provide their perspective.

Tampa’s District Seven team celebrates the completion of their CyclingSavvy course in front of the University of Tampa

]]>2Carol Wilsonhttp://nonprofitaccountingacademy.comhttp://cyclingsavvy.org/?p=63742017-08-16T16:27:41Z2017-08-16T16:00:52ZIt had been a long hot ride. Reaching the parking lot where we started, I heaved a sigh of relief. I made it! Sweat dripped into my eyes and rolled off my nose as I gratefully slid off the saddle. I began walking toward my car, leaning on my bike for support, when a friendly and somewhat concerned face appeared in front of me.

“Do you like tabbouleh? I brought some tabbouleh salad in a cooler.” He paused, adding: “I made it.”

The young man standing before me looked like he had just finished a short stint around the block. Surely he was not on the same ride I had just completed! I was finding this fellow to be quite unlike anyone I had ever met.

Normally he biked to club ride starts, but this ride was further out of town so he had driven. “Yes, that would be nice,” I replied. I walked with him to his black Toyota pickup truck.

The tabbouleh was cold and delicious, and the nourishment began to revive me. To be honest, I pushed myself hard on this ride because I wanted to impress him. Bicycling was obviously effortless for him, as natural as flying for a bird. As I munched on tabbouleh, I wondered if I’d ever achieve his level of mastery and fitness.

Part of me was surprised to be so interested in this guy. After breaking up with a long-time boyfriend, I’d decided I’d had enough of men. I turned to exercise to work out my frustrations. I wanted to try the rides offered by our local bike club.

I had a beater bike from my college years, but didn’t want to bring it to these rides. I decided to treat myself to my first good quality bike. So I headed to a local bike shop, where they fixed me up with a neon yellow Trek road bike.

I started showing up for the club’s Wednesday night social rides. They were rather informal affairs. I’m not sure they even had an official ride leader. Everyone always looked expectantly to this guy to lead the ride. He accepted his role nonchalantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Before each ride he’d go around the parking lot to help people pump up flat tires, adjust seats, generally check for loose things and make sure everyone had a bike that was ready to ride.

He never drove to these social rides. He always arrived by bike. After the ride, he made sure everyone returned safely and had their bikes properly loaded onto their cars. Then he left as he came, by bike. Always by himself. I wondered where he came from and where he went.

I was quite sure he was younger than me, way younger. That, along with my determination to avoid men, held me back. At the time he had long flowing black hair, the kind you see on heartthrobs adorning the covers of paperback romance books. He was thin, like he hadn’t quite grown into his frame. He was part of the bicycling group and yet he wasn’t. He stood apart, independent, never associating with anyone too closely. I found myself more and more intrigued.

And so I was surprised when the group stopped one day at a restaurant and he pulled a chair up to the table where I was seated.

That’s when it hit me that perhaps Mighk Wilson was interested in talking to me because he was interested in talking to me, not just because I was the “new rider.”

The rest, as they say, is history. I never did achieve Mighk’s level of bicycling proficiency. But fortunately we enjoy biking together on a tandem. A sure way to not get dropped!

Over the years we’ve participated in many kinds of bicycling – off-road, tandem, road riding, touring, bicycling for transportation – and we’ve acquired many wonderful bicycling friends along the way. Next year will be our 25th wedding anniversary.

I’ve watched Mighk grow into a nationally recognized transportation planning and bicycling professional. I’m especially proud of the work he’s doing as executive director for the American Bicycling Education Association.

Like so many others, I feel confident that following Mighk is the right thing to do. I’m just grateful he picked me to be his lifetime riding companion.

Little did I know what I was getting into when I bought that yellow Trek!

Celebrating the grand opening of the Cross Seminole Trail in Central Florida (1999)

Enjoying the trails at Suwanee Bicycle Festival in North Florida (1998)

The joy has left you. It’s too much work. You hop in your car instead.

I know this routine because it’s happened to me. A LOT. Just thinking about preparing to leave for a ride was exhausting.

Well! No pun intended, but I decided to break this cycle. From now on, I’d have a more “just do it” approach.

I decided to test my new resolve with a weekend trip to Kansas City. I was driving there and would take my bike on my car, but leave the car in a free lot and get around town on my beloved Frenchman “Pierre,” a vintage 1973 Peugeot Mixte.

Riding Pierre would make my trip more economical, and let me enjoy KC in the best way possible.

Pierre in Kansas City, prior to his meltdown

Before I left home, I ensured Pierre’s tires were aired up. I took only a basket, lock, lights and helmet. Nothing else! I bike in regular clothes. Travel light, that’s my goal.

Prior to my trip, I asked my Airbnb hosts if there were bike racks in front of building. They couldn’t remember, but said I could bring my bike up to my loft. While I would have use of an elevator, this made me even more determined to travel light.

Biking around KC was easy. I stopped any time I wanted to enjoy views I would have easily missed in a car.

On my last day I wanted to visit a highly recommended vegan bake shop. It was a little far but I didn’t care. The weather was perfect. I’d be able to bike off calories after I devoured pastries.

With very little traffic, I felt like I had the roads to myself. I was just enjoying my time when the unexpected happened: A bolt on the pedal crank broke! Suddenly Pierre was unrideable.

I was stuck on the side of the road in a town where I knew no one. I was too far from my Airbnb to walk the bike back. My first thought was to chastise myself: “I should have packed my tools and extra bolts!”

Yeah, right. Even if I had tools, would I have been able to fix Pierre? What to do?

I remembered someone telling me that I could Uber a car that can carry a bike. Uber! I’ll Uber! I got my phone and ordered a car to come get me. I locked up Pierre to get him later. I didn’t need to order a special vehicle though it was available. In less than five minutes, my Uber driver arrived. Twenty-five minutes later I was in my car, picking up Pierre.

Not once did I regret not packing “everything” in the event something happened. This was a small hiccup in a fun weekend ride.

Over-planning for the worst could be the worst thing that happens to you on a ride. I ride more since I’ve stopped worrying about what I “should” bring on trips. I don’t even worry about what I wear. You’ll often see me in flip flops and a skirt. This has been a life changer!

There are a few things I always bring: A fully charged cell phone, bike lights and a helmet. But everything is really not necessary. Most things I can get at my destination & leave there, or arrange to get later.

The Savvy Cyclist launches today on a weekly publication schedule. We’ll take all the blessings we can get. We’ve never done anything like this. It feels scary and exciting at the same time, like a big commitment.

When you make a commitment, do you seek validation? I do! I want proof and evidence that I’m on the right path (which is why I’m such a fan of CyclingSavvy, but more about that another time).

What I want to tell you about today is St. Louis’ first annual “Blessing of Bicyclists” and its immediate connection to CyclingSavvy.

The connection was right at the top of the program:

Blessing of Bicyclists. Wow. I felt like crying. At that moment I realized how profoundly blessed I’ve been as a bicyclist. Savvy cycling has made my riding infinitely easier than I ever imagined it could be.

Thanks to CyclingSavvy, I live in a Bicyclist-Friendly Universe. Road rage is never an issue. (OK, almost never. When road rage does happen, it’s always a surprise, because it’s so rare. I mainly feel sorry for the perpetrator. I think: “Sorry you’re stuck in your car, buddy! I wish you knew how easy it could be to choose bicycling.”)

I know that sounds hard to believe. But I’m not the only one. Successful cyclists are everywhere, with amazing stories to tell. Might you be one? I coordinate the editorial calendar for The Savvy Cyclist. Email me if you’re ready to share your journey.

Here’s a preview of upcoming posts: Why Having No Plan Is The Best Plan. Cycling In Suburbia. What It Looks Like When Your City’s Transportation Director is a CyclingSavvy Instructor.

All kinds of people showed up to our town’s Blessing of Bicyclists. People in street clothes, the spandex-clad, little kids, and bike cops. The event was a testament to the impressive diversity of bicyclists and their bikes.

“We’re here today to recognize the inherent goodness and holiness of cycling,” the Reverend Jon Stratton said in his welcome to the assembly. Bicycles were everywhere in the sanctuary, even on the altar. Reverend Stratton sprinkled holy water on them, and on us.

First Annual “Blessing of Bicyclists” at St. Louis’ Trinity Church

Inspiration for this event came from Madonna del Ghisallo, named the Patron Saint of Cyclists by the Catholic Church in 1949. Cyclists still make pilgrimage to a shrine on an Italian hilltop, near where the Virgin Mary was said to have miraculously saved Count Ghisallo from robbers during medieval times.

As I watched the ceremony, I was filled with gratitude for the miracle of bicycling. I also am well aware that it will take a miracle to make bicycling normal in America. That doesn’t mean we won’t try.

Meanwhile, a toast! Let’s celebrate the weekly launch of The Savvy Cyclist:

Here’s to Bicyclist-Friendly Communities, Everywhere.

Bless Everyone. No Exceptions.

]]>0Penni Smith Gryderhttp://cyclingsavvy.org/?p=54542017-07-24T17:12:52Z2017-07-26T16:00:53ZIf anyone had told me two years ago that I would bike over 26 miles in one ride, I would laugh and say, “Not me!”

I’ve been working over the last year to restore balance to my life. A year ago I was in the physical and emotional trenches. As I looked in the mirror, I realized I hadn’t been taking care of myself. My mood was suffering due to this fact.

Enter bicycling. My husband, Brian, began biking and wanted me to ride with him. He bought me a bike and signed me up for Charlotte’s CyclingSavvy class. After taking CyclingSavvy, I rode in my neighborhood and once with the Sunday Slow Riders.

But I have to be honest: It was hard, and I had doubts. I had a hard time with anxiety, and felt anxious when going out for groceries or a family get-together. How would I be riding a bike in traffic?

One year went by where I hardly biked at all. I watched my husband make great progress physically. He was meeting new people and making new friends on group bike rides. I wanted that!

In February 2017 I went back to a healthy diet, and got on my bike that very afternoon. After months of not riding, I completed 10.8 miles. I was thrilled!

Always keeping the CyclingSavvy lessons that I learned in my mind, I began to get my confidence back. I started riding whenever I could with the Sunday Slow Riders and on the Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride. I was gaining more endurance.

Before I started bicycling regularly, I would feel tired for no reason. Now I have more energy and sleep better. I no longer feel weak and helpless, and have more self confidence.

I can’t leave out those who helped me get here! For starters, my husband, Brian Gryder. Next, CyclingSavvy Instructor Pamela Murray. Finally, all the people I meet at each outing. What a wonderful group to ride with. We take care of each other.

With a huge THANK YOU to ALL the bike riders! I feel a rise in my self-esteem, a positive change in my attitude, and a better outlook on my life.

Penni Smith Gryder with arms around Brian Gryder, enjoying a beautiful day with Sunday Slow Riders in Charlotte, NC

It was a typical winter morning in Downtown Orlando. Clear, cool and sunny with normal rush hour traffic. Because it was cool, I was wearing my usual neon yellow jacket. I’m not obsessive about “hi-viz” clothes, but if I’m going to wear a jacket, I figure it may as well be a bright one. I’d just turned onto Rosalind Avenue, a one-way three-lane street with short blocks, lots of signalized intersections and a bike lane. I normally use the bike lane.

On this particular morning I made the right turn onto Rosalind at such a time that it held off most of the heavy northbound traffic. I had the street almost entirely to myself. In my helmet-mounted mirror I could see only one vehicle approaching from behind. A woman was driving a van in the right lane with the right turn signal on. We were both coming up to the intersection with Church Street. I could tell that the van would get to the intersection at the same time I would. I’m heading straight. She’s turning right. I tell myself, “This should be interesting.”

Sure enough, as we reached the intersection, she turned right in front of me. Since I was expecting it, it wasn’t a big deal. I tapped my brake and no contact was made, but she missed me by only about a foot. An untrained cyclist might not have had the same outcome.

The point of this story is not to illustrate the fairly common “right hook” conflict, but why this particular driver did something so obviously stupid. She had no other person or vehicle to pay attention to for the few seconds leading up to our conflict. I was exceptionally conspicuous in my jacket. As it was a one-way street, she had no concern about on-coming left turns. There were no vehicles waiting at the cross street. I was the only thing in the world she had to avoid, and she failed.

I can guess at her thought process. Perhaps she misjudged my speed. Perhaps she assumed I would yield. Or perhaps she was so preoccupied that she was not paying attention to anything outside her lane. Whatever. One thing was clear: Even though I was highly conspicuous, I was not relevant enough for her to make the right decision.

Relevance:

The difference between frustrating routine conflicts and a stress-free ride.

CyclingSavvy co-founder Keri Caffrey shot photos of me at this location to give you a sense of how I would have looked to that driver that morning. The photos show more traffic than was present that day and the bike lane is now painted green. But they should still help you “get the picture.”

I do most of my riding in regular clothing and on streets without bike lanes. Over more than 20 years I’ve never had a right hook conflict (or many close calls of any sort), mostly because I ride in the center of the lane by default. But while wearing a hi-viz jacket and riding in a facility that many think is supposed to “make motorists pay attention” to me, I encountered this conflict. (It’s not the only such conflict I’ve had in bike lanes, just the most noteworthy.)

As cyclists we need to understand the differences between “visible,” “conspicuous,” and “relevant.”

You can be visible and highly conspicuous–and irrelevant, as I was that morning:

You can be clearly visible, though not highly conspicuous, and yet be very relevant. This photo shows the default position I use on streets without bike lanes:

You can dress to be highly conspicuous and yet be completely invisible to a motorist who needs to see you. See how this cyclist in hi-viz is invisible to the driver about to turn left?

Or you can be visible, conspicuous, and relevant:

Most cycling safety proponents (and sellers of gizmos) will tell you all about how to be more visible and conspicuous. We hear from lots of cyclists who say they are “doing everything right” and being as conspicuous as possible. Yet they also complain about having too many close calls.

If you’re having close calls, check out the relevancecomponent. CyclingSavvy shows you strategies that will make you as relevant as possible.

You have the power to banish frustrating routine conflicts and enjoy a safer, nearly stress-free cycling experience.

Relevance makes all the difference.

(In a future post I’ll discuss where and when it’s most important and useful to improve your conspicuity, in addition to being visible and relevant.)